Syrian Kiss Goes Viral

a new work by Tammam Azzam

A new photographic work created by Ayyam Gallery artist Tammam Azzam has captured the imaginations of the world, going viral and being shared across social media as a symbol of the power of love and human spirit in times of war.

The Syrian artist has superimposed Gustav Klimt’s iconic work, The Kiss (1907 - 1908), over the walls of a war-torn building in his native country in a powerful juxtaposition of beauty and devastation. The image has been ‘liked’ by over 20,000 people and shared 14,000 times in only 5 hours.

The new work follows on from Azzam’s recent series Syrian Museum, which was exhibited at Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai, 2 months ago, Dec 2012. Azzam merges instantly recognisable masterpieces into images from Syria’s war zones, working in various digital mediums to address the ongoing political and social upheaval in Syria, and the cycles of violence and destruction tearing his country apart.